Royals vs. White Sox, 7:40 ET
Royals vs. White Sox, 7:40 ET
There is a lot that goes into a baseball team being successful. The entire organization really needs to run at a high level if you want to consistently be good. The General Manager has to think about who is currently on the field, scouts need to find the next great prospect, and talent evaluators as a whole have to be accurate. If even one area struggles, the whole franchise is likely to suffer. In today’s game we have a tale of two franchises – the Royals and White Sox – who have very different paths over the past few years.
The Royals were a team that kind of burst onto the scene last year. Sure, they had some good years where they were competiting and even won a World Series. After that, there was a bit of a dry spell for the club. They didn’t see much success and had varying levels of competence. The minor leagues have provided some players that have developed for them, their general manager and scouts have identified guys who might’ve been discarded by others, or needed a change of scenery. In today’s starter’s case, a change in role seemed to be what has done the trick in helping him turn around his career a bit. Now, to be fair to him, Seth Lugo didn’t have a bad career before he came to Kansas City. He has a career ERA of 3.38, but he was used as mostly a reliever for seven seasons with the Mets. He did have one season prior to the Royals where he was a starter for the Padres, but it was clearly the right move putting him in the rotation as he has gone 19-14, pitched over 250 innings, and has an ERA below 3.50 for the club. This year he is 3-5 with a 3.45 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. Lugo has been good against the White Sox, holding them to just a .206 batting average in 63 at-bats.
BOSTON, MA – APRIL 21: The Chicago White Sox logo is seen on a jersey during their game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on April 21, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
The White Sox are a team that kind of burst into oblivion last season. Sure, they were pretty bad the year prior, but nothing like last season when they were one of the worst teams of all time. The only good news for them is that the Rockies are now looking like they will hold the White Sox beer this season. In any case, it wasn’t too long ago that this team had one of the brightest futures in baseball. They had a talented core of players, and even the farm system seemed deep. It just never clicked, and to be honest, I don’t fully blame the players as I think the owner is to blame more than anything. Some owners look at teams as something they love, others as an investment, and a way to make even more money. The White Sox owner is certainly the latter. Hard to invest money into a terrible team, I guess, but how else are they going to get better? Young talent, I suppose. Today’s starter might fit that bill a bit as Davis Martin is 2-6 with a 3.67 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP. He has been an innings eater and before his last outing had thrown three straight quality starts. The Royals got to him pretty good last month, getting four earned runs in 4.1 innings. Overall, the team is hitting .281 against Martin.
I’m not going to take on the total in this one, but I do think the White Sox team total goes under. Instead of doing that, I’m going to play the run line. The moneyline is more than I want to touch. Lugo is a better pitcher than his numbers look at the moment, and I think he thrives against teams like this. Back the Royals to win on the run line tonight.
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